Katara Prize for Arabic Novel Celebrates Its Tenth Edition
The Public Institution for Cultural Village "Katara" has announced the winners of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel during a ceremony held at the Katara Opera House on October 18, 2024. This year marks the tenth session of the prestigious award, which aims to promote and celebrate Arabic literature. The event was attended by various dignitaries, including ministers, ambassadors, writers, and cultural enthusiasts.
In the category for published Arabic novels, the winners include Alaa Halil from Palestine for his work "Seven Letters to Umm Kulthum," Muhammad Tarzi from Lebanon for "Muffler Microphone," and Youssef Hussein from Egypt for "Pawns and Swords." Each winner received a cash prize of $30,000 and will have their novels translated into English.
The unpublished novels category recognized Qwaider Mimouni from Algeria for "El Camino de la Muerte," Lisa Kheder from Syria for "The Wall of Scandal," and Yassin Kani from Morocco for "A B Th." Similar to the published category, each of these authors also received a $30,000 award, and their works will be published and translated.
In addition, three critics were honored for their studies on novel criticism: Dr. Belkacem Aissani from Algeria for "Novelistic Thought," Dr. Bouchaib Al-Sawri from Morocco for "Imagining Identity in the Arab Novel," and Dr. Hashim Mirghani from Sudan for "The Novel as a Stage for the Controversy over Identities and Their Reconstruction."
In the Young Adult Novel category, Abu Bakr Hammadi from Algeria won for "I am Called Libra," while Shaima Ali Gamal El-Din from Egypt and Alaa Al-Jaber from Iraq were recognized for their novels "Beit Rima" and "Land of Oranges and Olives," respectively. Each received $15,000 and will see their works published.
The award for unpublished historical novels went to Diaa Jubaili from Iraq for "The Pearl Narration of What Al-Tabari Did Not Narrate - The Zanj Revolution," and Dr. Kaltham Jabr Al Kuwari from Qatar won in the published Qatari novel category for "Fereej Bin Dirham."
Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara, congratulated the winners and emphasized the importance of the prize in promoting Arabic literature both regionally and internationally. He noted that the award, established in 2014, has played a significant role in addressing challenges faced by Arabic novels, particularly in publishing and translation.
Celebrating Literary Innovations and Future Prospects
As part of the Katara Festival for Arabic Novel, a symposium titled "The Arabic Novel in the Shadow of Artificial Intelligence" was also held, featuring discussions on the intersection of technology and literature. Notable speakers included Dr. Wasini Al-A’raj, who explored the limits of artificial intelligence in fictional storytelling, and Dr. Amir Taj Al-Sir, who examined AI's potential contributions to narrative creation.
The festival will continue until October 20, featuring the second edition of the Katara Book Fair, which includes participation from Qatari publishing houses and cultural institutions. This initiative underscores Katara's commitment to fostering literary talent and enhancing the visibility of Arabic literature on a global scale.
